From my own experiences I’m aware that a new fountain pen “will not” make me a better writer, or a wiser person. Yet, I still look. I also know that a new Fujifilm X100VI will not make me a better street photographer, or a wiser person. Yet, I still look. From my own life experiences the simple things I have in life are the real treasures of life. I am doing my best to live my life with less attachments to things and not accumulating more things. Chittister also says that life comes from living it. So, living life today means taking the time to savor the beauty of latte art, enjoying my mocha, and a bit of journaling with the treasures I have.
God is the internal voice calling me to give myself to the fullness of life.
Joan Chittister
It makes no difference what we chose to call that internal voice. What matters is being silent enough to listen then giving myself to the task of living the fullness of life. It has been a learning process for me and a wonderful opportunity! Happy birthday to those celebrating their birthday on this leap year!
If we ever want to be happy, then, we need to move beyond the level of simple material satisfaction to the development of the spiritual dimension of what it means to be human. We not only need to find out what we do best and do it to the utmost. We also need to ask ourselves again why we were born. What is it that we have that the world needs and is waiting for us to provide?
What fills the heart with happiness, ironically enough, is not what we get out of the world; it’s what we put into it. Being about something worthwhile, spending our lives on something worth spending a life on is what, in the end, makes us happy.
Joan Chittister
My barista this morning was Stephen. I hadn’t seen him for a while and discovered he’d taken some time off while his father was out here visiting. It sounds like their time together made them happy. 😊
I consider myself a happy person. My greeting by Stephen this morning enriched my happiness. Having said that it seems to take more to upset me than in the past. However, I must admit that drivers can test my peace, serenity and happiness. At this stage in my life happiness does not come so much from what I do as when I was pursuing a career, gathering the things the world told me I needed and so on. For me happiness comes from the lifestyle I attempt to live, a spiritual lifestyle which includes starting my day with prayer and meditation. I call this quiet time, center myself for the day. Happiness comes from how I treat and respect all of life that shares this world with me. Happiness comes from what creative acts I offer as a gift, such as photography or my blogging. Happiness comes from listening and being present to a friend or stranger. Happiness comes from times in nature, watching the sunrise or sunset or the changing colors of the fall season. Happiness comes from building relationships with my family, friends, strangers and the natural world around me. I could go on but instead I invite you to share with us some things that bring happiness in your life and the life of those around you. I told you there would be more leaves! 😂
I awoke early this morning, way too early. Unable to go back to sleep I made a pour over then headed to Pineridge Natural Area. I would spend the next hour and a half in this sacred place while the city still sleeps. A couple of baby cottontails dashed across the road when I pulled into the parking area. After parking the car I could see the silhouette of bats darting in the dim light feasting on insects. A croaking frog belted out from the shallows of the reservoir. The meadowlarks now share their songs of joy. I had maybe an hour before sunrise so I moved to the north end of Dixon Reservoir because nature was gathering a few clouds in the northern sky. After taking a few predawn images I moved to a spot along Dixon Canyon Road and set up my camera looking out over the reservoir where I wanted to watch and photograph the sunrise. As I left this sanctuary an hour later the clouds had filled the sky and the beauty of the new day’s sunrise was more than I expected. This is one of the predawn images and I will post one of the sunrise images later. Next I had a wonderful conversation with Dan and an Old Town mocha latte at Mugs coffee shop. It has been a lovely morning but I do believe there will be a power nap later today. May you have a fabulous day!
I’ve learned that when positioning my next words in a conversation I am no longer listening. I’ve proven that too many times. I’ve also seen in the eyes of another when they are no longer listening. I have also experienced the gift of fully listening to another as well as knowing the gift of being listened to. Seems that those life giving conversations happen when both are experienced by both. My reflection and journaling on her quote have lead me to see other areas in my life where listening is important such as prayer, or when an author or poet expresses in words what I needed to hear, or a bird’s song of joy, or the whisper/howling of the wind, or the words written in the pages of my journal or the knowing voice deep within. I agree that every moment of listening is a life-giving act for both parties. Hope you enjoy your Sunday!
Watching storm clouds in the northwest from Riverbend Ponds
We go to prayer to be transfigured ourselves, to come to see the world as God sees the world, to practice the presence of God, to put on a heart of justice, of love, and of compassion for others. We go to become new of soul.
Joan Chittister
Several years ago when life was lifey my ex-wife and I went back to church. We joined this small home group where we met for seven weeks and went through some workbook. I shared in the first meeting that I had not prayed for over 20 years. One elderly woman asked if I had ever said, Oh God! In her mind’s eye that was a prayer. Thus I began to question my understanding of prayer. I’ve been searching ever since.
My concept of prayer when this happened was from my youth. I’ve since become aware of the need to uncover, discover and discard some of the teaching of my youth that no longer serve their purpose. And, that includes many areas of my life besides prayer. Prayer is such a personal journey for each of us and no two are the same. Seems the searching has altered my soul that I am unable to explain or comprehend.
